Method of and apparatus for wave-weaving

ABSTRACT

Method of and apparatus for weaving in wave-weaving machines with mechanical weft shutters and a rotary reed. The time sequences of the operations of weft insertion and shed cleaning overlap the beat-up of the preceding weft. The course of phases in constituting the fabric is terminated by the transfer of the weft to the fabric fell, this time interval covering the repeated beat-up of the preceding weft and the binding of the inserted weft by the warp.

United States Patent [1 1 Vasek et a1.

[ Oct. 23, 1973 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WAVE-WEAVING [75] Inventors: Vitezslav Vasek; Frantisek Jekl;

Stanislav Nosek; Zdenek Pospisil, all of Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia [73] Assignee: Vyzkumny ustav bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 136,935

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr.28, 1970 Czechoslovakia 2948/70 [52] U.S. Cl. 139/12, 139/188 [51] Int. Cl D0341 47/26 [58] Field of Search 139/11, 12,13, 15,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,076 11/1932 Mutter ..139/12 2,742,058 4/1956 Gentilini 139/127 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,237,034 7/1960 France 139/12 208,558 7/1966 U.S.S.R.......,.. 139/12 409,812 10/1966 Switzerland 139/127 P Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attorney-Arthur O. Klein [57] ABSTRACT Method of and apparatus for weaving in wave-weaving machines with mechanical weft shutters and a rotary reed. The time sequences of the operations of weft insertion and shed cleaning overlap the beat-up of the preceding weft. The course of phases in constituting the fabric is terminated by the transfer of the weft to the fabric fell, this time interval covering the repeated beat-up of the preceding weft and the binding of the inserted weft by the warp.

13 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUom 23 ms SHEET 2 OF 6 ATTORNEY PAIENIEDnmza ms I 3165350 SHEET 50F 6 w 2 we 005 f //0 INVENTORS=- llTezsLAv VASEK,

ATTORNEY METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WAVE-WEAVING The present invention relates to a weaving method and to a device for performing said method in a waveweaving machine with an advancing shed, in which the beat-up mechanism is constituted by a rotary reed and the weft insertion is performed mechanically.

Several methods and devices are known which perform the beat-up by means of a rotary reed, even with the single shed weaving machines, in which the weft is inserted and beaten-up simultaneously along the whole width of the machine.

in one of said prior devices, the weft is inserted pneumatically through a channel constituted by extended recesses in the segments of the rotary beat-up mechanism. Upon insertion, the rotary motion of the segments is interrupted. The segments are, upon stoppage, all turned through the same angle, and consequently, the extended bottoms of the recesses in the segments constitute an approximately circular channel which upon stoppage is arranged with the weft thread supply opposite the pressure air source. After the insertion of the weft, the shaft with the beat-up segments is turned, the weft thus sliding out of the groove and being, after the recrossing of the threads, beaten-up by a further turning movement of the shaft with the segments, i.e. the rotary reed. In order to turn the shaft intermittently at intervals necessary for the weft insertion, its drive is performed by intermediary of an indexing device such as a Geneva movement, the arms of the cross of which impart the required turning motion to the shaft.

In the segments, there are provided a plurality of channels for weft insertion, preferably three, the whole shaft with the segments thus being turned through 360 by three strokes of the machine of 120 each.

The disadvantage of this embodiment consists in the necessity of stopping the rotary motion of the shaft with the segments, thus reducing the possibility of achieving efficient operation. Moreover, the weft is transferred to the fabric at a relatively high speed and in a part of the movement of the segment, at which it has an approximately circular shape, the weft is only pressed against the fabric, not beaten-up.

Another known embodiment beats up the whole inserted weft in the fabric by a segment with a continuously variable radius of an approximate shape of an Archimedes spiral. in order to gain space for the mechanical weft shuttle, each segment consists substantially of two parts symmetrical about the center. Each of the two said parts consists of a rectilinear and a curvilinear section, of which the first, i.e. the rectilinear forms, after a stop of short duration as in the preceding embodiment, the guiding part for a mechanical weft inserter.

Another device is known, operating in the same manner, in which the separate segments are provided, instead of the rectilinear guiding part for the mechanical weft shuttle, with beat-up parts of helical character, of which the least curvilinear section constitutes the guiding part for the mechanical weft inserter.

In the above-described prior art devices, it is necessary to use an intermittent rotary motion of the beat-up mechanism. Above all, however, the shape of the segments does not guarantee a sufficient beat-up of the weft. The constant, continuous increase of the radius of the segments causes the weft to be pressed into the fabric rather than beaten-up.

A further known embodiment is constituted by a rotary reed made of circular segments mounted fixedly on the shaft. The basic shape of the segments is circular, and recesses are made therein which extend behind the mouth. The grooves of all segments form a channel through which the weft is inserted mechanically along the whole width of the loom and is transferred, after insertion, to the fabric. The transfer is again formed by a small part of the segment, and further, the weft is held only near the fabric; this however, is not a guarantee for obtaining a sufficiently consistent and regular density, which means that the assortment of the fabrics to be manufactured by using such device is fairly small. Moreover, the whole device is too complicated and would require a very precise manufacture, which always results in a reduced economical effect of the device.

The last-mentioned device includes a reversely rotating shaft provided with a row of segments. This device is substantially only an alternative embodiment of the currently used reed, which also employs a system of segments pivotable about a stationary axis.

Multi-shed wave-weaving machines preferably use a rotary reed consisting of segments mounted on a shaft. The said segments-are mutually angularly shifted, the corresponding points on the separate segments being connected by imaginary curves which constitute helices, the number of helices equalling the number of simultaneously formed sheds in the machine. The sepa- -by the weft inserter which entrains a whole bobbin through the advancing shed, said weft being gradually transferred to the fabric by the helical surface of a hook on the segments.

The drive of the shuttles is also performed by a rotary system of mutually angularly shifted segments, and the helical groove in the segment system transfers its axial motion to the bobbin carrier. Upon a change of shed, the warp threads pass between the segments of the rotary reed as well as those of the driving mechanism.

A further known wave-weaving machine uses two segment systems on two different shafts. Each segment is provided with one projection. The segments with smaller projections, arranged on one shaft, drive the mechanical weft shuttle. The segments with bigger projections of helical shape, which are mounted on the other shaft, are used for transferring the weft to the fabric.

An alternative embodiment includes only one rotary shaft mounted across the whole width of the loom. The segments on the shaft are-provided with two projections similar to those of the preceding alternative embodiment. One projection is intended for transferring the weft to the fabric, and the other projection drives the mechanical inserters.

The disadvantage of the last two embodiments and the alternative embodiment is that the projections of the segments leave and again enter between the warp threads. It is very probable that certain threads are caught by the projections and are spontaneously transferred to the neighboring gap. The position of the warp thread in the given gap is thus not permanent and can be practically changed during each weaving cycle. Such a construction does not guarantee a reliable operation of the machine, and the quality of the product is necessarily affected by the random arrangement of the warp in the segment gaps In all of the above-described prior devices, it is possible to trace the following sequence of the separate operation phases:

a. weft insertion;

b. transfer of the inserted weft to the fabric end;

c. the binding of the weft together with the beat-up;

d. the insertion of the next weft (a repetition of (a.)

It can be seen that the separate operation phases (a) (e) follow each other. That means, that only after one phase has been finished is another begun, e.g. so that only after binding the weft by the warp and its beat-up to the fabric can insertion of the following weft take place.

The improvement of the efficiency of the known devices operating in the above-described manner is limited to shortening the time required by the separate phases of the operation. Consequently, the efficiency of the machine depends only on the quality of its construction and manufacture.

The present invention has among its objects substantially a removal or mitigation of the said disadvantages, and the provision of a new method of weaving and a new device for performing said method of weaving, which makes possible a substantial shortening and simplifying of the weaving procedure.

As the weaving procedure is a synthesis of the motions of mechanisms acting upon the warp and weft, but mainly of the shedding, weft inserting, and beat-up mechanisms, it is necessary to specify one mechanism irrespective of the remaining mechanisms, this step being required by the synchronization of the motions in the space in which the weaving procedure is performed. The result of the synthesis is a certain structure of the weaving procedure, the arrangement of the operation phases of which is the subject matter of the method of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention the time intervals of weft insertion and shed cleaning overlap the bear-up of the preceding weft, the sequence of phases in manufacturing the fabric being terminated by the transfer of the weft to the fabric end, this time interval covering the repeated beat-up of the preceding weft and the binding of the inserted weft by the warp.

For a more reliable operation of the device it is advantageous that the section of the weft being transferred to the fabric end takes up a substantially rectilinear position, said transfer being performed by a gradual action of the rotary reed upon the weft upon synchronizing the motions of the weft inserter and the rotary reed.

It is particularly advantageous in applying the present invention that, simultaneously with the passage of the recess of a segment terminating the transition edge of one of the shed sides, the beat-up of the weft into the fabric is performed.

It is very important from the viewpoint of operation of the device according to the present invention to provide the segment with at least one opening not filled up by its carrier with an equal number of recesses, and with at least an equal number of beat-up projections.

It is very important for transferring the weft to make the segment recess with at least two edges ahaped as parts of continuous curves, the recess constituting the edges at the transition points to the circumferential edges forming an obtuse angle therewith, and the deepest point of the recess forming the bottorn thereof being situated inside an imaginary circle concentric with the center of rotation of the segment and touching the weaving plane (the central plane of the shed).

It is highly desirable, to obtain a faultless operation of the device according to the present invention, that the cross-section of the weft inserter gradually grows in the direction from the guiding grid towards the rotary reed and is at its largest dimension at the front part-of said weft inserter, the largest dimensions of the crosssection of the said part being able to surpass the distance between the warp thread planes of a fully opened shed.

It is also advantageous that the opening in the segment be situated in the direction of its rotation between the recess and the beat-up projections, which are constituted by at least two curvilinear parts which together form an obtuse angle, the projection contacting the weft last having at least the same radial dimension as the preceding projections.

Further advantages and features of the present invention are described in the following specification and the accompanying drawings of an illustrative embodiment, of which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the segment of the rotary reed including the recess and the beat-up projections;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram of the weaving procedure, in said diagram the operation phases of the fabric related to one weft being represented in full lines, while the phases relating to the following, or to the preceding weft, respectively, are represented in dashed lines;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the rotary reed through the weaving plane and a projection of the weft shuttle into the sectional plane;

FIG. 4 is a view in section through the shed wedge in a plane forming a wall of the weft inserter, the sectioning plane being situated perpendicularly to the weaving plane, the view showing a projection of the weft shuttle into the sectional plane;

FIG. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 through the rotary reed as shown in FIG. 3 and a projection of the weft shuttle in the sectional plane;

FIG. 6 is a section along the line 6-6 through the rotary reed and the weft shuttle as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a section along the line 77 through the rotary reed and the weft shuttle as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a section along the line 8- 8 through the rotary reed and the weft shuttle as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a section through the shed wedge in a plane forming a guiding wall of the weft shuttle and perpendicular to the weaving plane with a projection of an alternative embodiment of the weft shuttle into the sectional plane;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation of an embodiment of the segment at a recess therein:

FIG. 11 is a view in elevation of an alternative embodiment of the recess of the segment;

FIG. 12 is a view in elevation of a further alternative embodiment of the recess of the segment.

FIG. 13 is a view in perspective of the rotary reed and shuttle;

FIG. 14 is a view in perspective of the embodiment of the shuttle shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 15 is a view in perspective of the embodiment of the shuttle shown in FIG. 9.

In FIG. 2 the following symbols are used:

Z the weft insertion (i.e. the section of presence of the weft shuttle until forming a new shed as far as the point at which the weft leaves the weft shuttle);

C the cleaning of the shed (the successive filling of a new shed by the weft shuttle, securing a sufficient space for the insertion of a new weft by action of the force of the weft shuttle upon those warp threads which have not been fully opened as far as the fabric end);

P the beat-up of the weft (the pressing of the weft into the fabric after its binding);

F the binding of the weft by the warp;

T the weaving cycle, or rather the length of the shed wave (given by the repetition of the same operation phases during the weaving process);

In FIGS. 3-9 the following symbols are used:

s the beginning of the weft insertion, the beginning of the cleaning of a newly-formed shed wedge by the weft shuttle;

z the end of the weft insertion, the weft just having left the weft shuttle, the beginning of the weft transfer;

d the entrance of the transition curve terminating the recess of the segment into the fully opened lower shed, simultaneously therewith the beat-up of the preceding weft;

h the repeated beat-up of the preceding weft, simultaneously therewith the end of weft transfer into the recess of the segment and the beginning of the weft transfer through the segment, and simultaneously the entrance of the transition curve terminating the recess of the segment into the fully opened upper shed;

x the entrance of the transition curve terminating the recess of the segment in the insufficiently opened lower shed;

y the entrance of the transition curve terminating the recess of the segment in the insufficiently opened upper shed;

k the end of the weft transfer through the recess of the segment, the weft being already bound by the warp;

p the beginning of the weft binding procedure zero shed;

v the outlet of the weft;

m the rearmost position of the weft, wherefrom it is certainly transferred by the segment (mechanisms in k position), this position being determined by a perpendicular dropped to the weaving plane passing through the point of passage of the transition curve terminating the recess of the segment by the plane of a fully opened upper shed, the weft inserted in that position being completely closed by the upper shed in the recess of the segment;

f the position of the weft after terminating the transfer of the weft by a segment groove;

t the fabric end, the vortex edge of the shed wedge upon fully opened warp;

s c: the cleaning zone of the weft inserting wedge by the weft shuttle;

s z: the weft inserting zone;

2 h, v m: the weft transfer zone into the segment recess, the free space being secured by the weft shuttle upon cleaning;

m f, h k: the transfer zone of the weft by the recess of the segment by the transfer edge;

2 k, v f: the weft transfer zone from the weft shuttle to the fabric end;

k h, f t: the beat-up zone;

d x: the zone of the potential entrance of the transition curve of the segment recess into the lower shed (scattering of the lower shed);

y h: the zone of the potential input of the transition curve of the segment recess into the upper shed (scattering of the upper shed).

Turning now to FIG. 4, the insertion of the weft into the shed is performed by a weft shuttle 1, consisting substantially of two parts 101, differing in their shape and operation. The first of them, front part 101 is wedge-shaped and provided with cleaning edges 102, 103 which extend along the whole length of the surface of front part 101 from the tip 104 as far as the point of maximum cross-section (FIG. 6). The boundary between the front part 101 and rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 is determined by a plane laid through the end points of the cleaning edges 102, 103 perpendicularly to direction R" of movement of weft inserter 1. In the drawings, the front part 101 is represented in its sec tions and projections by simple section lining.

The dimensions of the cross-section of front part 101 of weft shuttle 1, measured perpendicularly to the weaving plane 2, are at least at one point as long as or even longer than the distance of the warp threads 31, 32 of the fully opened shed 3 from the weaving plane 2 at these positions That means that the weft shuttle 1 fills the fully opened shed 3 with the cross-section of the front part 101, the position of which is given by the position of the heddles 4 (FIG. 5) and the end 131 of fabric 13, or overlaps it possibly for a certain value. In other words, the front part 101 of weft shuttle 1 successively acts upon all warp threads of at least one branch of the fully opened shed 3 with at least one point. It is suitable to choose the overlap relatively small as not to increase the tension of the warp threads 31, 32 exceedingly. The overlap can be advantageously applied at the cleaning edges 102, 103, thus achieving a better effect upon cleaning. However, this is not a condition, as the overlap can be made also at a point other than at the eges 102, 103.

The rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 is immediately connected to the front part 101 and forms a known box for depositing weft 5 from a coil 111. It is important to fulfill the condition that the dimensions of the crosssection of rear part 105 in a direction perpendicular to the weaving plane should be at least as short as the distance of the least opened warp threads 6, 7 upon fully open shed 3 of the other warp threads 31, 32. The cleaning edges 102, 103 open the shed of the insufficiently opened connected threads 6, 7 at least to point m, or nearer to the front end of fabric 13. The surface of the cross-section of the rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 forms a part of the surface of the acute angle with the vortex 20 situated in the weaving plane 2 at the point m, the position of which has already been defined and the sides of the angle passing through the guiding eyelets of heddles 4 upon full stroke of the shed. The said least opened threads 6, 7 form then a smaller shed wedge 8, the distance of threads 6, 7 measured perpendicularly to the weaving plane 2, determining the so-called boundary dimensions of the weft shuttle l in its rear part 105. The maintenance of the said condition means that the surface of the rear part 105 upon its motion does not come immediately into contact with any of the warp threads 31, 6 at the bottom side 109 or with any of the warp threads 7, 32 at the top side 110, that is, it does not cause any of them to deviate from their position.

The rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 can, however, be made in another manner and can have another shape than that specified in the preceding part of the specification. For a correct and reliable operation of the device according to the present invention, it is possible that the rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 may overlap at certain points the position of the incompletely opened warp threads 6, 7 at full shed stroke. In view of the requirements which are connected with the designing of the machine, e.g., the guiding of the weft shuttle, the space of the weft thread box etc., it is possible that certain parts of the rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 should have larger dimensions than the boundary dimensions.

The maintenance of the boundary dimensions applies to those points at which the transition curve 1 1 l 1 (FIG. 1) of recess 1102 of segment 11 passes through the bottom shed or possibly the top shed, of the incompletely opened warp threads 6, 7. As the transition curve 111 1 passes in the direction of rotation S (FIGS. -8, inclusive) at first through the lower shed 31, 6 and then through the upper shed 7, 32, this means that there are recesses 107 in its rear part 105 at the bottom side 109 and 108 at the upper side 110, opposite the direction of motion R of weft inserter 1, when the weft inserter 1 covers with its rear part 105 the zone d x, y h of the passage of transition curve 1111 through the positions of the warp threads 31, 6 and 7, 32.

The shape of recess 107 is equivalent to the possible position of warp threads 31, 6 in the zone (1 x at the lower side 109 of the weft inserter, and the shape of the recess 108 is equivalent to the possible adjustment of the warp threads 7, 32 in the zone y h at the upper side 110 of the weft shuttle. Thus at the points of the rear part 105 of weft inserter 1, corresponding upon weaving to the points of passage of transition curve 1111 of recess 1102 of segment 11 through the lower or upper shed branch, respectively, there is formed a recess at such a depth, that at those said points there is no contact of the rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 with the warp threads dissipated between the position of threads 31, 6 of the lower shed and 7, 32 of the upper shed, between which there passes at the same moment the said transition curve 1111 of recess 1102 of segment 1 1.

From the viewpoint of design, this condition can be defined as follows: at the rear part 105 of weft shuttle 1 there is at least one recess in the surface of the projection of the section of the rear part 105, said section being made at the deepest points of the deepest recesses in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotary reed and forming part of the surface of an acute angle with vortex 20 situated in the weaving plane 2 at the point in of a perpendicular projection of the transition edge 1111 passing through the upper branch 32 of a fully opened shed 3 into the weaving plane 2 and the sides of the angle passing through the guiding eyelets of heddles 4 upon a full stroke of the shed.

Another possible definition is: at the rear part 105 of the weft shuttle l at least one recess is made, the dimensions of the projection of the cross-section of rear part 105, which is made at the deepest points of the deepest recesses into a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotary reed, being at least as small as the distance of the least opened warp threads 6, 7 upon full stroke of heddles 4.

When the deepest points of the deepest recesses have their boundary dimension, then still one condition more should be fulfilled, that is, that the deepest points of the deepest recesses in the rear part of weft shuttle 1 are arranged at points x, y corresponding to the points of passage of the transition edge 1111 through the lower branch 6, or possibly upper branch 7 of the least opened shed 8 upon a full stroke of heddles 4.

The rear'part 105 of weft shuttle 1 is marked in the drawings in sections with projections being shown by cross hatching. The weft shuttle 1 is mounted in a guideway (not shown), made e.g. in the segments of the guiding grid 9. The weft shuttle 1 is also provided with an outlet 106 for weft 5, at its rear part 105 at the nearmost side v of rotary reed l0, marking the path of outlet 106 of weft 5.

The rotary reed 10 consists of rotary segments 11 mounted rigidly on a carrier which is constituted by shaft 12. The rotary segments 11 are arranged regularly about the whole working width of the machine, successive segments being turned on the shaft 12 through the same angle. Consequently, the same points on the rotary segments 11 are distributed on a helix coaxial of shaft 12, and all the helices thus formed have the same pitch.

The rotary segments 11 are mounted spaced at uniform distances on shaft 12, that is, they are distributed at the same mutual distances from each other, and their number appurtenant to a certain length of the rotary reed 10 corresponds to the warp setting. The regularity and the rigidity of the fixed mounting of segments 11 on shaft 12 is secured, e.g. by spacer or distance rings (not shown).

The rotary segment 11 is provided with an openeing adapted for being mounted onto a carrier constituted by shaft 12. Moreover, said rotary segment is provided on at least one of its carriers with a (not filled) opening 1101, an equal number of recesses 1102, and at least the same number of beat-up projections 1103, 1104. The number of the said parts can be obviously different, though within the said general relation, however, at least one of each on each segment 11,. The number of recesses 1102, openings 1101, and beat-up projections 1103, 1104 on one rotary segment 11 depends on the synchronization of the number of rotations of the rotary reed 10 and the number of inserted wefts 5. According to the exemplary embodiments, the rotary reed 10 turns through 360 during insertion and beat-up of three wefts 5, and for this reason the rotary segment -11 is divided into three parts which are rotationally symmetrical. Each of those parts comprises one recess 1102, and the above-described parts appurtenant thereto.

The mutual position of weft-inserter 1 and the rotary reed 10 is such that the position of weft 5 in the reces-' ses 1102 of segments 11 in view of the rotary reed 10 corresponds approximately to a tangent laid into the weaving plane 2 from the weft outlet 106 of the weft shuttle l to the helix of the rotary reed, said helix being wound around a cylinder concentric to the axis of the rotary reed 10 and touching the weaving plane 2. This arrangement is necessary for an advantageous rectilinear transfer of weft 5 from the outlet 106 to the end 131 of fabric 13, which requires a minimum possible action of the rotary segments 11 upon weft 5.

The recess 1102 of segment 11 is constituted by at least two edges (even three in the indicated examples), of which two are important for the operation, i.e. the guiding edge 1105 and the transfer edge 1106. For fulfilling the condition of the rectilinear position of weft during transfer within the zone 2 k, v f, theoretically the most advantageous shape of the edges are congruent, averted involutes e e the common origin of which is located on the basic circle line 14 which is concentric with the center of rotation of segment 11 and touches the weaving plane 2. A recess made in this manner has a V shape, see FIG. 10.

An alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 11, has a recess 1102 constituted by three edges 1105, 1106, 1107, of which the guiding edge 1105 and the transfer edge 1106 again form part of the involutes e e originating on the basic circle line 14 at the points of origin 1 1 17, 11 18. They are shifted in such manner that their pointof intersection is situated on circle line 15, which is concentric with the center of rotation of segment 11 and passes through the point of intersection of weaving plane 2 and a perpendicular dropped thereon from the point of passage of transition curve 1111 of recess 1102 through the upper shed of fully opened warp threads 32. The edge 1 107 is substantially parallel to a part of the transfer edge 1106 and forms therewith a groove for the weft 5. The recess thus formed is T-shaped.

The edge 1 107 can be made of a shape different from that of the preceding embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 12, in which, together with a part of transfer edge 1106 there is formed a semi-circular space for weft 5. A recess thus formed has the shape of the letter R turned through 180 degrees.

In the device according to the present invention, it is possible advantageously to replace the involutes e e; for manufacturing reasons by a circle line or a straight line, (FIG. 1). This produces a relatively insignificant deviation from the rectilinear position of weft 5, causing no trouble. In the example of the embodiment of segment 11 in FIG. 1, the guiding edge 1105 forms part of a circle line and transfer edge 1106 forms part of a straight line.

From the examples of embodiment of recesses 1102 of segment 11, it is obvious to form the recess in various manners such that the guiding edge 1105 and the transfer edge 1106 close an obtuse angle with the circumferential edges 1108, 1109 at the transition points, and the bottom 1112 of recess 1102 is situated inside circle line 14 which is concentric with the center of rotation of segment 11 and touches the weaving plane 2. The said transition points to the circumferential edges are, exactly stated, the points of intersection of the curve of edge 1 105 with the curve of edge 1108 and of the curve of edge 1106 with the curve of edge 1109.

Opening 1 101 is situated in the direction S of rotation of rotary reed 11 between recess 1102 and the beat-up projections 1103, 1104. It is also possible to determine its position in such manner that upon rotation of the rotary segment 11 in the direction S, the alleviation opening 1101 first passes through weaving plane 2, then recess 1102, and last the beat-up projections 1103 and 1104. The opening 1101 has its edges made, from the geometrical viewpoint, of parts of four circle lines of which two are concentric with the center 10 of the rotary segment 11 and are the operation of the device, the position of the alleviation opening 1101 in the rotary segment 11 is more important than its shape.

The outer circumferential surface 1 108 of rotary segment 11 constitutes a circle line approximately concentric with the opening for shaft 12. The beat-up projections 1103, 1104 are made on this outer surface 1108 beside recesses 1102. The two projections 1103, 1104 in the embodiment shown, are situated immediately behind each other and have a congruent construction, this being, however, not an indispensable condition. The said projections are constituted by at least two curvilinear parts. In the illustrative embodiment they are formed by section 1109, 1110, the shape of'which is formed by a curve, of which the distance from the center of the rotary segment 11 increases oppositely to its direction of rotation more rapidly than rectilinearly. Between the section 1109 and the transfer edge 1106, an important factor is the transition edge 1111, which forms a boundary line between the transfer edge 1 106 and the beat-up edge 1109. The top 1113 of projection 1 103 forms approximately a circle line concentric with the center of rotation of rotary segment 11 and closes an obtuse angle with section 1109. The same applies to top 1114 of projection 1104 with section 1110. The section 1115 constitutes a transition between the top 1113 of projection 1103 and the zone 1110 of projection 1104; section 1116 then connects the top 1114 of projection 1104 with the circumferential edge 1108. The shape of sections 1115 and 1116 is of no importance; in the illustrative embodiment it is chosen to be rectilinear.

The other beat-up projection 1104 is, as already mentioned above, the same as the preceding and has also the same dimensions. This, however, is not an indispensable condition, as it is important for the operation of the device to choose the beat-up projection 1104 to be not smaller than projection 1103, i.e. that its vortex 1 1 14 is formed about at least the same radius value as the vortex 1 1 13 of beat-up projection l 103, or of all preceding beat-up projections assuming that there is a plurality.

The method of weaving in accordance with the invention as well as the operation of the device as described above is as follows:

In a wave-weaving machine, operating so as to perform the method according to the present invention, an advancing shed is formed in sections upon the move ment of heddles 4. In FIGS. 4 and 9, the boundaries 16 of all possible positions of the marginal warp threads of sections during change of shed, as well as the arrangement of the shed in view of weft inserter 1, can be seen. Said weft inserter I regularly inserts weft 5 into the shed, in front of the rotary reed 10, not into the groove constituted by recesses l 102 of rotary segments 11, but outside the path of transition curve 1111 terminating the recess 1102. The weft 5 is transferred into said groove formed by recesses 1102 by further turning of the rotary reed 10 in the direction S, its movement being synchronized with the movement of weft shuttle 1 in the direction R. The weft 5 is unwound from the weft shuttle 1 by its successive movement. The tension of weft 5 necessary for its withdrawal from weft shuttle 1 is formed by binding weft 5 by the warp and thus by fixing its position in the fabric 13. At the end 131 of fabric 13, it is necessary to hold the front end of weft 5 upon entrance of the weft shuttle 1 into the shed at ing its manufacture.

The weft shuttle 1 is driven at a regular speed in any of known manners, e.g. an advancing magnetic field constituted by electrical conductors along the guiding grid 9.

The weft 5, after leaving the outlet 106 of weft shuttle l, at first contacts the guiding edge 1105 of recesses 1 102, along which said weft is guided to the bottom of groove 1112 into the point of intersection 1119 of the involutes e e; of the guiding edge 1105 and the transfer edge 1106. Thus begins the actual transfer of weft by the transfer edge 1106 to the fabric 13. The transfer is performed by mutual action of weft 5 and rotary reed by synchronizing the movement of weft shuttle 1 in the direction R and the rotation of the rotary reed 10 in the direction S. The weft 5 slides in the recess 1102 along the transfer edge 1106 in the direction towards the transition edge 1111, at which weft 5 leaves recess 1 102. As the weft 5 slides or also rolls, the most advantageous shape for the two edges 1105 and 1106 is an involute e, and c This makes possible, on one hand, a continuous movement of weft 5 and, on the other hand, a rectilinear position of that section of weft 5 which is transferred to the end 131 of fabric 13, between the outlet 106 of weft shuttle 1 and the transfer edge 1111 to point k (FIG. 3) at which the transfer of weft 105 by edge 1102 is terminated and its beat-up begins by pressing it to the circumferential edge 1109. The rectilinear position of weft 5 at that phase of weaving the fabric, makes it possible to achieve a least possible friction between weft 5 and edges 1 105, 1106 of recesses 1102 of rotary segments 11 and also makes pos sible the regular supply of weft 5 upon binding it by the warp at the boundaries 16 of neighboring shed sections (FIG. 4).

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the separate phases of the course of weaving the fabric are shown. The weft insertion takes plane in the zone s 2, while in the zone 5 c cleaning of the shed is being performed. At the point d, the first beat-up of the weft is finished, and at point h the second, repeated beat-up is performed. By repeating the beat-up of weft 5, its more precise location in the fabric 13, and thus also a higher weft density in fabric 13, are achieved.

Simultaneously with the first beat-up of weft at point d, the transition edge 1111 of rotary segment 11 (FIG. 7) passes through the lower warp threads 31 of the fully opened shed 3. Similarly, simultaneously with the second beat-up of weft 5 at point h, the transition curve 1111 passes through the upper branch of warp threads 32 of the fully opened shed 3. In both cases the termination of the beat-up causes increased tension of warp threads 31, 32, thus reducing the danger of get ting them caught up by the transition edge l 111 and an undesirable transfer of the warp thread into a neighboring gap between segments 11.

In the hitherto give description of the operation of the device according to the present invention, it was presumed that the shed 3 was built faultlessly, i.e. in such manner that the warp threads 31, 32 take up a'rectilinear position between the end 131 of fabric 13 and heddles 4. Some warp threads 6, 7 are not opened to thefull shed 3, due to insufficient space between the rotary segments 11, or possibly due to mutual friction between threads 6, 7. The danger of not opening the shed fully is reduced by providing a free space 17 from the alleviation openings 1101 in the rotary segments 1 1. The arrangement of the alleviation openings constitutes a free space 17 just at those points of the rotary reed 10 at which the cleaning of the shed is being terminated (FIG. 6), by overlapping the environs of point m by openings 1101 in the direction towards the end 131 of fabric 13.

Moreover, a sufi'icient opening of the shed is also secured by the front part 101 of weft shuttle l, which can be also called the cleaning part. The said part is provided with cleaning edges 102, 103, which open by force the warp threads 6, 7 (FIG. 6) which are connected in front of the end 131 of fabric 13 in the space of rotary segments 11, or possibly in the space of the weft shuttle 1. After cleaning the shed, the vortex 8 of the shed of incompletely opened warp threads 6, 7 is situated between points t and m. The arrangement of the rotary reed 10 guarantees the transfer of all wefts 5 inserted into a shed 8 opened in such manner towards the fabric 13, as all wefts 5 get into the points of intersection 1119 of the involutes e,, e,, of edges 1105, 1106 and are closed inthe groove 1102 upon entrance of the transition curve 1111 into the fully opened upper shed of warp threads 32 (FIG. 5).

Further, undesirable transition of warp threads into the neighboring gap between the segments 11 cannot take place, since at the points d x and y k the crosssection of the rear part 105 of weft inserter 1 is equivalent to the potential position of warp threads 31, 6 and 7, 32, i.e. the rear part 105 is made in such manner that no undesirable deviation of warp threads in the direction R of movement of weft inserter 1 takes place at those points at which the transition curve 1111 passes through the position of warp threads 31, 6 of the lower shed and 7, 32 of the upper shed.

From the above description of the manner of weaving fabric 13 and the operation of the device according to the present invention, as well as the diagram as shown in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the time courses of weft insertion, shed cleaning, and beat-up of the preceding weft are overlapped, the sequence of phases of forming the fabric 13 being terminated by transfer of weft 5 to the end 131 of fabric 13, the same sequence of such weft transfer there coinciding the repeated beat-up of the preceding weft 5, and the binding of the inserted weft 5 by the warp 31, 32, 6, 7.

The said overlapping of phases enables a substantial increase in efficiency of the weaving machines with a rotary reed with an advancing shed, in a manner other than by mere shortening of the time period of the separate phases. The present invention thus shortens the length of the weaving cycle T, thereby making possible a more frequent sequence of weft inserters, and thus the insertion of a higher number of wefts in the same time unit.

The present invention can be applied to the manufacture of fabrics of various densities and weights of all known textile materials.

Although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to a plurality of preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such preferred embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of weaving a fabric in wave weaving machines with mechanical weft shuttles travelling successively across the warp width and with a helical rotary reed composed of a plurality of segments each having at least one weft-receiving recess and at least the same number of beat-up projections, and with means for forming sheds successively across the warp width, comprising the following sequence of steps:

successively inserting weft by means of said weft shuttles into said weft receiving recesses in separate sheds,

shed cleaning by said shuttles,

transferring each weft to the fell of the fabric by respective ones of each of the recesses,

binding each weft with the warp and beating-up each inserted weft into the fell of the fabric by said beatup projections,

following said beating-up by an eventually repeated beating-up by another of said beat-up projections, the sequence of said steps of weaving a fabric taking place within the forming of the one shed being overlapped in the direction of the weft insertion by the sequence of said steps of weaving fabric taking place within the forming of the following shed,

at least a part of the transfer and the beatup of the inserted weft taking place simultaneously with the shed cleaning and the insertion of the succeeding weft.

2. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weft is inserted into the shed outside the path of a transition edge terminating the recess of a segment of the rotary reed.

3. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, wherein the section of weft transferred to the fell of the fabric has a substantially rectilinear position corresponding to a tangent laid in the weaving plane by an outlet of the weft to the helix of the helical rotary reed, said helix being concentric with the axis of the rotary reed and touching the weaving plane.

4. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 3, comprising transferring the weft from the outlet of a weft shuttle into the recess of the segments of the rotary reed by the successive action of the transfer edges of the recesses in the segments upon the tensioned weft, and synchronizing the movements of the weft shuttle and the rotary reed.

5. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, comprising performing the beat-up of the weft into the fabric simultaneously with the passage of the recess of the segment terminating the transition edges through one of the shed branches.

6. in a wave-weaving machine, the combination comprising heddles for forming the wave-travelling sheds, a rotary reed formed of segments arranged equidistantly from each other on a shaft, each segment havng at least one weft-receiving recess, at least the same number of beat-up projections, and at least the same number of openings, said openings being arranged between the recess and the beat-up projection with respect to the rotation of the reed, the segments being turned through the same angle and forming a helix, weft inserting shuttles consisting of front and rear parts different in their shape, the dimensions of the crosssection of the front part of each shuttle overlapping at at least one point the distance of the warp threads from the weaving plane at a fully opened shed, the shuttles being provided with shed-cleaning edges, the outlet of the weft being situated in the rear part which is smaller in cross-section, a straight line laid from the outlet of the weft through the recesses of segments of the rotary reed corresponding substantially to a tangent laid into the weaving plane from the outlet of the weft shuttle to the helix of the rotary reed, said helix being wound around a cylinder concentric to the axis of the rotary reed and touching the weaving plane.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the weftreceiving recess of segment is constituted by at least two edges disposed at an obtuse angle at the transition points with respect to the circumferential edges, the bottom of said recess being located inside a circle which is concentric with the center of rotation of the segment and which touches the weaving plane.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of said edges is a guiding edge and the other of said edges is a transfer edge, said edges have the shape of involutes the origins of which are located on a basic circle which is concentric with the center of rotation of a segment and which touches the weaving plane, said involutes intersecting each other on a circle line which is concentric with the basic circle and passes through the point of intersection of the weaving plane and the perpendicular dropped to it through the point of passage of the transition curve of the upper shed of the fully opened warp threads towards the end of the fabric.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the beatup projections have a form of at least two curvilinear parts mutually forming an obtuse angle, the projection which last contacts the weft being formed with a radius of at least the same value as the radius of the preceding projections.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sections of the projections beating-up the weft have the form of a curve, the distance of which from the center of the segment in the direction opposite to its rotation increases more rapidly than rectilinearily.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the surface of the cross-section of the rear part of the weft shuttle forms part of the surface of an acute angle with its vertex being located in the weaving plane at the point of a perpendicular projection of the transition edge passing through the upper branch of the fully opened shed and its sides passing through the eyelets of heddles upon their full stroke.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rear part of the weft shuttle has at least one recess, the surface of the cross-section through the rear part of weft shuttle at the deepest points of the deepest recesses forming part of a surface of an acute angle with its vertex being located in the weaving plane at the point of a perpendicular projection of the transition edge passing through the upper branch of a fully-opened shed and its sides passing through the eyelets of the heddles upon their full stroke.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the deepest points of the deepest recesses in the rear part of the weft shuttle are arranged at points corresponding to the passage points of the transition curve of the recess of the segment of the lower or upper branch, respectively, of the least opened warp threads of shed upon the full stroke of the heddles. 

1. A method of weaving a fabric in wave weaving machines with mechanical weft shuttles travelling successively across the warp width and with a helical rotary reed composed of a plurality of segments each having at least one weft-receiving recess and at least the same number of beat-up projections, and with means for forming sheds successively across the warp width, comprising the following sequence of steps: successively inserting weft by means of said weft shuttles into said weft receiving recesses in separate sheds, shed cleaning by said shuttles, transferring each weft to the fell of the fabric by respective ones of each of the recesses, binding each weft with the warp and beating-up each inserted weft into the fell of the fabric by said beat-up projections, following said beating-up by an eventually repeated beating-up by another of said beat-up projections, the sequence of said steps of weaving a fabric taking place within the forming of the one shed being overlapped in the direction of the weft insertion by the sequence of said steps of weaving fabric taking place within the forming of the following shed, at least a part of the transfer and the beat-up of the inserted weft taking place simultaneously with the shed cleaning and the insertion of the succeeding weft.
 2. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weft is inserted into the shed outside the paTh of a transition edge terminating the recess of a segment of the rotary reed.
 3. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, wherein the section of weft transferred to the fell of the fabric has a substantially rectilinear position corresponding to a tangent laid in the weaving plane by an outlet of the weft to the helix of the helical rotary reed, said helix being concentric with the axis of the rotary reed and touching the weaving plane.
 4. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 3, comprising transferring the weft from the outlet of a weft shuttle into the recess of the segments of the rotary reed by the successive action of the transfer edges of the recesses in the segments upon the tensioned weft, and synchronizing the movements of the weft shuttle and the rotary reed.
 5. A method of weaving as claimed in claim 1, comprising performing the beat-up of the weft into the fabric simultaneously with the passage of the recess of the segment terminating the transition edges through one of the shed branches.
 6. In a wave-weaving machine, the combination comprising heddles for forming the wave-travelling sheds, a rotary reed formed of segments arranged equidistantly from each other on a shaft, each segment havng at least one weft-receiving recess, at least the same number of beat-up projections, and at least the same number of openings, said openings being arranged between the recess and the beat-up projection with respect to the rotation of the reed, the segments being turned through the same angle and forming a helix, weft inserting shuttles consisting of front and rear parts different in their shape, the dimensions of the cross-section of the front part of each shuttle overlapping at at least one point the distance of the warp threads from the weaving plane at a fully opened shed, the shuttles being provided with shed-cleaning edges, the outlet of the weft being situated in the rear part which is smaller in cross-section, a straight line laid from the outlet of the weft through the recesses of segments of the rotary reed corresponding substantially to a tangent laid into the weaving plane from the outlet of the weft shuttle to the helix of the rotary reed, said helix being wound around a cylinder concentric to the axis of the rotary reed and touching the weaving plane.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the weft-receiving recess of segment is constituted by at least two edges disposed at an obtuse angle at the transition points with respect to the circumferential edges, the bottom of said recess being located inside a circle which is concentric with the center of rotation of the segment and which touches the weaving plane.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of said edges is a guiding edge and the other of said edges is a transfer edge, said edges have the shape of involutes the origins of which are located on a basic circle which is concentric with the center of rotation of a segment and which touches the weaving plane, said involutes intersecting each other on a circle line which is concentric with the basic circle and passes through the point of intersection of the weaving plane and the perpendicular dropped to it through the point of passage of the transition curve of the upper shed of the fully opened warp threads towards the end of the fabric.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the beat-up projections have a form of at least two curvilinear parts mutually forming an obtuse angle, the projection which last contacts the weft being formed with a radius of at least the same value as the radius of the preceding projections.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sections of the projections beating-up the weft have the form of a curve, the distance of which from the center of the segment in the direction opposite to its rotation increases more rapidly than rectilinearily.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the surface of the cross-section of the rear part of the weft shuttle forms part of the sUrface of an acute angle with its vertex being located in the weaving plane at the point of a perpendicular projection of the transition edge passing through the upper branch of the fully opened shed and its sides passing through the eyelets of heddles upon their full stroke.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rear part of the weft shuttle has at least one recess, the surface of the cross-section through the rear part of weft shuttle at the deepest points of the deepest recesses forming part of a surface of an acute angle with its vertex being located in the weaving plane at the point of a perpendicular projection of the transition edge passing through the upper branch of a fully-opened shed and its sides passing through the eyelets of the heddles upon their full stroke.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the deepest points of the deepest recesses in the rear part of the weft shuttle are arranged at points corresponding to the passage points of the transition curve of the recess of the segment of the lower or upper branch, respectively, of the least opened warp threads of shed upon the full stroke of the heddles. 